COLUMBIA, S.C. —Grab a flashlight and come explore one of Columbia’s oldest cemeteries as Historic Columbia’s annual Cemetery Tours return on Thursday, April 14 with stories never before told.

Offered on the second Thursday of each month, April through September, HC’s Cemetery tours bring one hundred and sixty years of history to life. Discover centuries of stories etched in stone on the markers and headstones found within Elmwood Cemetery’s acres of carefully planned grounds on one of two tour options available every month:

The Secrets from the Grave tour starts before dark at 7:30 p.m. to allow attendees to study the symbols found on so many of the markers and headstones in the cemetery.

The Moonlight Cemetery Tours at 8 and 8:30 p.m. discuss the lives, burials, cemetery plots, and tombstones of families and notable citizens from Columbia’s 19th and 20th centuries.

“Thousands of commuters drive past Elmwood Cemetery every day without realizing what a historic treasure it is,” says James Quint, HC’s director of education. “Join us for a tour of this beautiful cemetery and discover the incredible stories of life, love, and intrigue that Elmwood offers!”

In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House from demolition officially incorporated as the Historic Columbia Foundation. Over the next five decades the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of seven historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for more details.